Chapter Thirty-Four
THE GENERAL
The truth sprawled before me as exposed as the surrounding tundra. Next to me, Liora tightened her cloak as we trudged past glacial caves, the fabric doing little to ward off the chill. Her presence never left my awareness, and I’m not sure I wanted it to.
I really did fear I needed more of her. All of her.
I tried to shut her out, remind myself of my responsibilities, but thoughts of her infiltrated my every attempt at focus, and consumed every one of my thoughts.
Plans long established now shifted to accommodate her place in them.
Her scent left me distracted. Her sighs made my fingers curl in their desire to find the places that would coax more of them out.
I glanced at her from my peripheral. Ilayah had gone in search of a girl in Maripol before she was captured.
Xuri had visions of one with lilac-pink hair who would lead me to my cure.
Ilayah’s last vision to me included the prophetic words of “one I was tasked to find.” Was she one and the same?
My magic pulsed in affirmation and I nearly tripped.
She stared at me questioningly, and I offered a reassuring smile. The punishing wind howled too loudly to sacrifice words.
The thought of losing her, of letting her go once the bargain was complete, clamped a vise around me.
I couldn’t allow it. But I felt her tense when we touched and though I wouldn’t force her, I would dedicate my life to convincing her otherwise.
I could give her time, even knowing I had little left.
I kept pace with her, lightly supporting her elbow to guide her over chunks of ice. Childhood memories of holding her hand when we jumped across streams in the Rivellan Wood filled my mind.
I remembered how she laughed when we were little.
I always thought she had the most beautiful sing-song response to joy, sure that she had exercised her delight on a regular basis.
But she had confessed that only when she was with me in the secluded forest did she feel the freedom to release her joy without fear of her father’s retribution.
I tried to coax it out of her as often as possible.
This particular day, we were practicing throwing daggers in the woods, only she kept hurling fistfuls of leaves at me.
At one point, I threw my dagger too high, and it knocked a bee’s hive off of a limb.
It plummeted to the ground with a muted thump.
We both stared, stunned. Then the bees came in earnest, and our young legs pumped like the wind to outpace the angry stingers aimed threateningly in our direction.
I cupped her elbow then as I did now. Our laughter joined the buzz at our backs. Exhilaration fueled our retreat.
Our legs burned, but we didn’t dare look behind us. I had grabbed her hand and she laced her fingers with my own. Together we jumped over a stream. In our minds, in the seclusion of the forest, we could defeat anything if we were together. Could that be true again?
With the cold, and Liora’s injured thigh, we maintained a creeping pace. Flurries accumulated along our shoulders and pelted our cheeks. She struggled to keep the hood of her cloak up, concealing the mysterious color of her hair. There would be no laughter on this journey.
Both Liora and I barely contained the chatter of our teeth. One step in front of the other. The city couldn’t be far ahead.
After what could have been hours or interminable minutes, the looming forms of buildings finally emerged from the sea of ice. Their presence brought a relief so strong I huffed a delirious laugh.
Queen Thaleia spoke true when she told us it was a small village. There were only a few prominent streets, and finding the inn was a simple affair. Blessedly warm air greeted us as the door shut at our backs, a few stray flakes of snow trailing us inside.
Liora snaked through crowds of people, heading straight to the roaring hearth.
She nestled next to the heat, her shivers still visible even across the room.
My shadows hovered near her, keeping watch.
I scouted the tavern for signs of Bowen.
My own body slowly thawed, and I found a server to inquire about lodging and lunch.
I almost argued when the server explained our room, but I was too cold and exhausted to put up a fight. I offered a handful of coins before finding Liora in the crowd. She was strong and capable, but I’d always thought myself her shield. As long as she was in my care, she would have my protection.
Her eyes found mine and I wordlessly beckoned her over. Her disappointment at leaving the fire’s heat was subtle but evident. I’d make sure the hearth in her room would keep her warm through the night.
My shadows wisped around me, intimidating enough to encourage the crowds to part and a table to reveal itself. I led Liora over to it. The chairs creaked as we settled into them and the table wobbled with our arrival, the grain of the wood softened by years of leaning elbows and raucous card games.
Liora extended her injured leg, releasing a soft groan as she did. My jaw tensed at her pain. A nearby fork melted in the heat of my renewed anger; I needed to lay eyes on that wound and make sure it wasn’t infected.
Rich stew and steaming bread arrived, interrupting my fierce concern. The smell of fresh food stoked my hunger, and we promptly devoured it. In the absence of fish or brine or any hint of seaweed, this was food for royalty.
I leaned back allowing my food to settle, then cleared my throat to capture Liora’s attention.
“The barmaid said Bowen had a room here. She hadn’t seen him yet for lunch, though, so I assume he’ll show up momentarily.
” While I hadn’t committed on a way to break the other news to her, she grew suspicious at my tone.
Eyes narrowed, she laid her spoon down. “Say it, Brute.”
My mouth twitched at the name. “You know those books you read where there’s only one room to be had?”
Her entire face fell slack. The satiation that filled her features after a hearty meal shifted into comical disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She appeared to be waiting for a punchline. I offered none.
My grin broke through. “The weather is turning and no one wants to be caught outside. We rented the final room here. The realms have conspired to torture us, Ruin of the Scourge.”
She rolled her eyes. “The royal title can be dropped. You’re allowed to call me Rue.”
“I’ll call you by your name when it’s your given one.”
She huffed like an indignant kitten. A bellowing voice knifed through the din, sweeping away her response. “DOM!”
Bowen jogged over, joining us at our table. “I was getting worried something had happened. Didn’t know if I needed to send out a search party. A blizzard is on the way.”
He assessed me critically, in a way that I could guarantee Xuri instructed him to do.
Satisfied with what he saw, he acknowledged Liora with a warm smile.
He ordered his lunch and addressed me. “I found what I needed at the apothecary. The tonic is in my room. You wouldn’t believe some of the things they have here.
For it being a remote outpost, they see a lot of travelers who bring in some unique items for trade. ”
Liora shifted in her seat, scanning the boisterous space. “If a storm is on the way, then I need to locate Evander. He might already be here.” The inn bustled with the lunchtime crowd and travelers anxious to get out of the worsening weather.
She waved her hand in our direction. “You guys catch up; I’m going to… use my skills.” Without waiting for a response, she threaded through the crowd.
My entire focus narrowed onto the headstrong, retreating woman.
I followed her hooded head as she weaved through throngs of people like one of my shadows.
A few heads popped up, observing her movement—even cloaked she demanded attention.
My rings flared and my shadows pealed out, slithering along the floor toward the curious onlookers, ready to subdue should they become threatening.
She eased onto the last available barstool, surreptitiously assessing her surroundings.
“She’s entirely capable of protecting herself, you know.” I’d forgotten Bowen was still here, still talking. The glare I sent had his mouth promptly shutting.
“Grab my tonic, Premier Bowen.” My obvious reminder of his station had him stiffening. Without response, he too disappeared into the crowd. At least with him gone I could focus on the other patrons and keep an eye on Liora.
One of the men stood, edging his way closer to her. My shadows picked up on the wrongness of the man. It was a feeling I’d grown to recognize. Dreki.
I finished my ale and abruptly stood. My fingers flexed with the tingling warmth of my magic and the heat of a room full of bodies.
My affinity heeded my will, melting down the dreki’s weapons.
Every metal buckle and button turned to fiery liquid, dripping down his leathers.
He stopped and patted himself down before reaching for his nonexistent sword hilt, alarm and confusion clouded his expression.
My attention divided between my spy and the dreki.
Liora sat with her back to us, sipping a steaming mug of mulled wine.
I verified her safety, watching as she offered a stack of coins that caused the barmaid’s eyes to widen.
The barmaid gestured toward the other end of the bar before tending to another customer.
Similarly to when she had sent out her magic to reinstate the bridge between realms, I could see the faintest shimmering threads reaching toward a burly man with red hair and a trimmed beard at the end of the bar.
My shadows flowed along the floorboards, out of sight from the crowd, rolling thick as fog to surround my unsuspecting prey. He had pushed himself out of the way, into a corner, so that he could continue removing the final articles of clothing that smoked with the remnants of melted metal.